Elizabeth Chadwick on Why I Love William Marshall

Today for Elizabeth Chadwick week we have a guest post from Elizabeth Chadwick as part of our Why I Love series and also as the Historical Tapestry stop of her ongoing blog tour.


Why I love William Marshal – How shall I count the ways?

I thought as my guest post, I’d contribute to Historical Tapestry’s ‘Why I love’ series for a second time and write ten reasons why I love William Marshal, the hero of The Greatest Knight.

1. He was a real charmer as a little boy. William was very nearly hanged when he was about six years old. He was given as a hostage for his father’s word of honour but when his father reneged on the terms, William’s life was declared forfeit. However he made such an impression on his captor, King Stephen, that the latter couldn’t bear to hang him, and took him for his page. William sat down in the King’s tent which was strewn with meadow flowers and politely asked Stephen if he wanted to play a game with plantain stems called ‘knights’. ‘Beau sire chiers, Volez joer as chevalers? Stephen agreed to do so and for his pains had his ‘knight’s head knocked off. Even then, William was a champion jouster!



2. He was known in his youth as ‘Guilleame Gaste Viande’ or ‘Greedy Guts.’ At first glance this may not seem like a reason to love William – that he was a glutton as a young man! It was also said he spent all his time sleeping. My reason for feeling endeared is, I confess, maternal again. Being the mother of a son recently of those adolescent years, I can fully empathise with the condition I just want to give William a heaped plate of steak and kidney pie and a hug!



3. I love William’s eagerness and zest for life. While he might have been castigated for eating too much and lying abed, once he was actually up and about, he seized hold of life with both hands. Summoned to battle as a newly knighted young man when the French descended on his town, William couldn’t wait to get stuck in and had to be told on several occasions to get to the back of the queue. ‘William, get back; don’t be so hot-heated, let these knights pass,’ he was warned by his lord. It wasn’t just battle where he was eager. Whatever was going on, he wanted to be part of it.



4. William lived in a society that was a lot more pragmatic about their animals than we are. While a battlefield and a tourney melee were not exactly wonderful places for a horse to be, William cared for the welfare of his mounts. Given a warhorse that was very difficult to ride because there was something wrong with its mouth, William especially adapted the bridle so that it would suit the animal’s disability. We are told that this particular horse was called Blancart and it was plainly a favourite, and long remembered.



5. I love William Marshal for his courage in the face of difficult odds. Many times in his life he had to put himself on the line for others and he did it unstintingly without thought for himself. He rescued Eleanor of Aquitaine from ambush by putting himself in the path of the enemy and was thereby captured and wounded himself. He stood between his lord, the dying King Henry II and the pursuing Richard Coeur de Lion, and rode Richard down, rather than put thought to his own future at Richard’s hands. He took on the regency of England when he was 70 years old, and led from the front at the Battle of Lincoln because there was no one else.



6. William had a wonderful, mischievous sense of humour that dances through his life story. Once he and some knights were entertaining themselves before a joust by singing songs. A young herald set up the refrain ‘Marshal give me a horse!’ William excused himself for a moment, took up his lance, mounted his stallion and knocked one of the competitors off his horse, and brought it back to the squire in a ‘no sooner said than done’ fashion. He wasn’t afraid to have stories told against himself either, such as the time he captured a man for ransom and led him off the field, only to find himself with an empty horse, when his prisoner escaped behind William’s back and scrambled up a gutter to safety.



7. William adored music. Since I have a fondness myself, we are on a wavelength here. He was often called upon to sing in company because he had an excellent singing voice and a ‘pure, sweet tone.’ Even on his deathbed, he could be found giving his daughters a singing lesson.



8. William was intensely loyal. If he gave his word he kept it whatever the cost. When his young lord died, he promised to take his cloak to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and did so. When he swore to protect King Henry II, he did so, even when others were deserting to Coeur de Lion in droves. Despite being persecuted by King John, he stood by him to the bitter end.



9. In an age when women had few rights and men mostly ruled the world, William was respectful of the opposite sex. He always consulted his wife about matters of the earldom because he recognised he had nothing without her. When they were first married he took her away on honeymoon to a quiet spot – just the two of them. He was a lifelong friend of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Although a man of his time, he was a true gentleman.



10. He always had the greater good at heart, even if that greater good often served himself too. When nearly ship-wrecked on his way to Ireland, he built a lighthouse to warn future vessels of the danger. That it might also help ships coming to the new port he built on the river Barrow was incidental. Indeed the latter was part of his initiative for Leinster. It enriched him, but it enriched the people of his lands too.


Don't forget about our current giveaways, and please be sure to check out the other stops on The Greatest Knight blog tour:

August 20—Pop Syndicate’s Book Addict http://popsyndicate.com/books

August 25—My Friend Amyhttp://myfriendamysblog.com/

August 27—A Reader’s Respite http://readersrespite.blogspot.com/

August 28—Booking Mama http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/

August 31—Historical Tapestry http://historicaltapestry.blogspot.com/

September 1—Passages to the Past http://passagestothepast.blogspot.com/

Yankee Romance Reviewers http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/

September 2—A Journey of Books http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/

September 3—The Tome Traveller’s Weblog http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com

September 4— http://historical-fiction.com/

September 21—Love Romance Passion http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

September 22—The Review From Here/Scribe Vibe http://scribevibe.blogspot.com/

September 23—Bloody Bad Books http://trinsnook.blogspot.com/

September 25—Morbid Romantic http://www.morbid-romantic.net/

Elizabeth Chadwick week - The Covers

Earlier this week, Misfit from At Home with a Good Book and the Cat gave us a tour through Elizabeth Chadwick's backlist.

Today she is back with a covers retrospective.

Personally I think that there is currently a really good theme to her covers, almost as though they have a particular Elizabeth Chadwick feel to them, but I am not sure that the same can be said for some of the older covers.

I hope you enjoy the covers that Misfit has been able to locate!

The Ravenstow Trilogy

Daughters of the Grail (rereleased as Children of Destiny)

Elizabeth Chadwick has an extensive gallery of her covers on her website, including some international versions. You can see them all by clicking here.

HT News

Carla Nayland's novel, Paths of Exile has been chosen as a Historical Novel Society Editor's Choice for August 2009. She has been interviewed at HistoricalNovels.info.

Pope Joan author, Donna Woolfolk Cross has been interviewed at Scandalous Women.

New giveaways

Arleigh at Historical-Fiction.com is giving away a copy of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Michelle Moran has guest posted at Virginie Says, and there is a signed copy of her upcoming release, Cleopatra's Daughter to be won as well.

It's always nice when you find a new book blogger who likes some of the same books as you do, and even nicer when they are hosting a giveaway something special related to one of your favourite ever books! Lisa from Bookblab is doing just that. Having just read the recently rereleased The Bronze Horseman, she has a Summer Garden bookmark (the third book in the trilogy) that has been signed by Paullina Simons to give away.

Upcoming Releases - September 2009

Here are the new releases for September, any title in particular you are anticipating?

September 1
Tasha Alexander - Tears of Pearl (US)
Elizabeth Chadwick - The Greatest Knight (US)
Carolly Erickson- The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots (US)
Georgette Heyer - The Foundling (US)
Helen Hollick - Pendragon's Banner (US)
Sharon Lathan - Loving Mr Darcy (US)
Donald Smith - Between Ourselves (US)

September 8
Paullina Simons - The Bronze Horseman (US rerelease)

September 15
Michelle Moran - Cleopatra's Daughter (US)
Shan Sa - Empress: A Novel (US)
Shan Sa - Alexander and Alestria (US)

September 22
Diana Gabaldon - An Echo in the Bone (US)
James Holland - The Odin Mission (US)

September 23
Robert Hicks - A Separate Country (US)

September 28
James Patterson - The Murder of King Tut (US)

September 29
Karen Maitland - The Owl Killers - US

Giveaway reminder!

Have you entered our Elizabeth Chadwick giveaway yet?

There are three books up for grabs - two copies of The Greatest Knight, and one book of the winners choice from Elizabeth Chadwick's backlist.

Full details can be found by clicking here.

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

Based on fact, this is the story of William Marshal, the greatest knight of the Middle Ages, unsurpassed in the tourneys, adeptly manoeuvring through the colourful, dangerous world of Angevin politics to become one of the most powerful magnates of the realm and eventually regent of England. From minor beginnings and a narrow escape from death in childhood, William Marshal steadily rises through the ranks to become tutor in arms to the son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. A champion on the tourney field, William must face the danger and petty jealousy targeting a royal favourite. Dogged by scandal, banished from court, his services are nevertheless sought throughout Europe and when William's honour is vindicated, he returns to court and wins greater acclaim and power than before. A crusader and the only knight ever to unhorse the legendary Richard Coeur de Lion, William's courage and steadfastness are rewarded by the hand in marriage of Anglo-Irish heiress Isobel de Clare, 19 years old, the grandaughter of kings and his equal in every way.

Elizabeth Chadwick is one of my favourite authors. I've read quite a few of her books so far and I have really enjoyed them all with one or two being special favourites. I was very enthusiastic when I found out she was going to write a book about William Marshal which I had already found in some books as a secondary character and was curious about.

The Greatest Knight is a biography; it tells the story from when a young William is sent as a hostage to his king and it ends when he is already well established in life. I found it really interesting how the author makes the period come alive. With a real character, whose life is well documented she might have had some restraints in describing facts and mixing it with fiction but the truth is that you don't even notice where one ends and the other begins. It’s a compelling and interesting story and if there's a flaw it must be that Marshall sounds too good to be true.

He is heavily influenced by Eleanor of Aquitaine and throughout his life tries to follow the rules of courtly love when dealing with the ladies, be them queens or not. He comes across as honest, loyal and charismatic. We follow him through defeat and imprisonment, military successes, court intrigues and banishment and finally as a valued knight of the king's household. He seems almost larger than life but he is also a man of his time when reaching for the highest matrimonial prize and planning to win Isobel de Clare's hand in marriage and lands.

I found Chadwick's descriptions of life as a knight going from tournament from tournament particularly vivid and interesting. We get to know how important it was to win and take ransoms and how perilous a life it was. And when William is appointed to Prince Henry's (the Young King) service how difficult it is to be true to one self and still obey your lord. If we usually have an interesting outlook of the politics of the day, here William and his life take centre stage and it's in connection with him that we follow the major events of that period. There is a lot going on and some things had to be left out but that just made me want to go and do my own research.

A very enjoyable read and now I'm off to pick The Scarlet Lion from the TBR pile and continue reading about William Marshal.

Grade: 4.5/5

Why I Love to read Elizabeth Chadwick

Some years ago, I received as a part of a book ring Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick. I didn't know the author, but the shallow part of me was in complete awe by the book's cover who was completely mesmerizing: the colors, the young woman's hair and the fabric of the dress were perfect eye candy. Back then, I was desperately looking for medieval historical fiction and since some of my friends who read her first books recommended her warmly. I was impatient to start!

With Shadows and Strongholds, she captivated me to such high level that I knew instantly that I needed to buy all her back list. I didn't read them all...yet, since I'm saving some of them for special moments when I need to read something good, a story that I'm sure will leave me with a smile on my face and a sensation of fulfillment that only happens with our favorites authors.

It is not easy to find an author capable of creating characters (or even bringing back to life historical personae) who feel real and who react according to the times they lived. This combined with a rich historical research makes a powerful and attractive combination to all the fans of that specific historical period. After reading several of Chadwick's books, I never miss to enjoy how she always manages to get the right balance between the characters story and the historical context, which is truly an amazing talent.

The only time I doubted I would actually like one of her books was when I read the synopsis of The Daughters of the Grail. A heroine descendant of Mary Magdalene who has some paranormal powers?! I started reading with some apprehension... And then, again, Elizabeth Chadwick showed me how talented she is. I couldn't help but feel with the heroine, suffer with the hero and my heart broke when I knew what fate was waiting for both of them... Her vivid descriptions of the South of France and the Cathar world brought me back wonderful memories from when I lived there a few years ago.

Some time after Daughters of the Grail, I met William Marshal. I think I never recovered from that encounter. This is the man who caught me completely unaware with his charm, honor and charisma. During 560 pages I felt like I was part of William's entourage, following his adventures and life through the troubled times of the reign of Henri II of England. Even now it's hard for me to talk about him, he is such a complex man and someone who easily becomes the subject of all your admiration. I willingly admit my jealousy towards Isabelle de Clare, his young wife. I want William just for myself and no sharing! The Greatest Knight became one of my favorite books of all times.

Elizabeth Chadwick is an outstanding storyteller. Each one of her books brings you back in time with heroes and heroines from all kinds of social backgrounds who despite their personal flaws always awake admiration for their bravery and honor, but also by their fragility and most of all, humanity.

Hello, my name is Alex and I'm an Elizabeth Chadwick-oholic.

HT News

Following on from her recent guest post from Annie Barrows, Heather from A High and Hidden Place now has five copies of The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society to give away.

Over at Royal Reviews this week is Mr Darcy Week, and so far there is an interview with author Sharon Latham, and a giveaway of Pride and Prejudice on DVD. I am sure there will be more as well during the remainder of the week.

There is a chance to win two books by Michelle Moran over at Just Another Musing

You may have noticed that we currently are giving away some books as part of Elizabeth Chadwick week. There are other opportunities to win as well with My Friend Amy giving away two copies of The Greatest Knight and Amy from Passages to the Past has a similar giveaway.

Interview with Elizabeth Chadwick

Continuing with Elizabeth Chadwick week, we are very excited to welcome Elizabeth Chadwick herself to Historical Tapestry!

How did your interest in the medieval period begin, and how did that lead into writing books set in that period?

When I was eight we had a teacher at school who used to get us to dress up as the historical characters we had just learned about and act out their stories in front of our classmates. We were doing the medieval period at the time, so I guess this was the first ever spark. After that, I fell in love with a crusader knight on a children's TV programme and began writing a story set in those times. Once I'd written on story, I was hooked and started straight on the next! The more research I did on the period, the more interested I became.

You spend some of your free time doing medieval reenactments. How does this help your research?

It gives me a 'hands on' feel for the period. It's all very well to look at an artefact in a book or in a glass case at a museum, quite another to use it as it would have been used in the period. I know what it looks like to peer through the eye slits in a jousting helm. I know how it feels to spin raw wool on a spindle. I know how it feels to climb castle stairs in a pair of heel-less goatskin shoes. It's absolutely priceless research for bringing the 'feel' into my novels.

Could you see yourself living in that time, and if so what would be the things from the modern world that you would miss most? Any amusing stories you care to share from reenactment?

I would love to go back for say a fortnight's holiday once a year, varying the seasons so I'd get a feel for them, and I'd spend most of my time as either a noble or a merchant. One day as a peasant for the experience would be enough each time! I would definitely miss chocolate, flushing toilets and clean, bright light at the flick of a switch. Then again, if the night was clear, I'd get to see the stars in all their beauty.

I think one of the funniest things that has happened in re-enactment was when one of our members got his head stuck inside his helmet in exactly the same way that William Marshal did in his jousting days. Our man had to put his head down on the table and be carefully prised out of the helm by a blacksmith in a near repetition of an event that happened 800 years ago!

If you could be one historical person, who would you choose to be?

William Marshal's wife Isabelle de Clare definitely! Ummm....apart from the ten children! I could do without those.

Over the years your books have changed a little in tone from being romances with a lot of history, to historicals with a bit of romance. What prompted that change in style?

Partly it was a natural progression as I grew more confident with the historical material. I found myself wanting to write about real people. Partly it was market forces as historical novels moved in that direction. I had no desire to swim against the tide. Indeed, it was a catalyst. I still love my more romantic novels, but I thoroughly enjoy writing fiction about characters who lived too.

Your books have been quite successful in the United Kingdom and other countries. What does it mean to you to have The Greatest Knight released in the US by Sourcebooks?

It is wonderful to finally have a USA paperback publisher, and one as keen and dedicated as Sourcebooks. I have received hundreds of e-mails from USA readers asking why they can't obtain my novels in the States. Now they can. Sourcebooks are real innovators in the marketplace and going from strength to strength, so I couldn't be more pleased, I hope the readers are too and I promise to do my best for them.

Do you see yourself continuing to write about the Marshals and their contemporaries or do you have some other characters or period that you are looking to write about?

Beyond The Greatest Knight I have written several novels continuing the story of the Marshals and their contemporaries. Sourcebooks will publish the follow up to The Greatest Knight in spring 2010 - The Scarlet Lion and also in the UK in spring 2010, Little Brown is publishing To Defy a King, the story of William's daughter and her conflict-filled life. Just now I am starting a novel on The Empress Matilda and her stepmother Queen Adeliza. The latter was actually the same age as Matilda. It's likely title is Lady of the English, and it will look at the lives of these women up close and personal. I'm keen to get properly going on it.


Looking at the characters in The Greatest Knight, Richard de Clare certainly captured the attention of a few readers. Did you ever feel compelled to write his story? Are there are other secondary characters that you would like to have the chance to focus on a some stage?

I did think about writing about Richard de Clare at one point, but as you know, I like to write novels spanning the years. Richard marred Aoife McMurrough, begot a son and Isabelle, and promptly went and died when they were tiny, so his life story would have to be his early life and the fight for Leinster. I feel that his story arc was a little too short for my purposes. Secondary characters quite often suggest stories, or at least story lines. but for the moment I have a fairly full agenda with what I've got. I confess that I became very interested in Wigain, the clerk of the Young King's kitchen. I found him in a chronicle, lurking with various high born bishops and the like. He'd obviously been on an important mission somewhere. What was he doing? What was he up to? A common kitchen clerk in such exalted company? So it's not always the big names I wonder about. At some point I'd love to write 'Wigain's tale.'!


What's next for Elizabeth Chadwick?

Well, there's the re-issue of one of my early romantic novels at Christmas - The Running Vixen. Then as aforementioned in the spring there's The Scarlet Lion out in the USA and To Defy a King in the UK. While all that's going on, I'll be busy with Lady of the English about the Empress Matilda. After that, we'll see, but the women of the Norman Conquest might just be on the agenda...


Don't forget that you can win Elizabeth Chadwick books! Full details can be found on Monday's post! Click here!

Lords of The White Castle - Elizabeth Chadwick

This book is about the true story of Fulke Fitzwarin, a knight in the time of king John who becomes an outlaw to fight for his right to his family's castle. At the end of the book she mentions her sources and their accounts of Fulke's like.

Lords of The White Castle is a novel based on a remarkable true story of honour, treachery and love spanning the turbulent reigns of four great Medieval kings. Award winning author Elizabeth Chadwick brings the thirteenth century vividly to life in the tale of Fulke FitzWarin. From inexperienced young courtier to powerful Marcher lord, from loyal knight to dangerous outlaw, from lover of many women to faithful husband, Fulke’s life story bursts across the page in authentic detail.
A violent quarrel with Prince John, later King John, disrupts Fulke’s life ambition to become ‘Lord of the White Castle’ and leads him to rebel. There are perilous chases through autumn woods, ambushes and battles of wit as Fulke thwarts John at every turn. No less dramatic is the dangerous love that Fulke harbours for Maude Walter, a wealthy widow whom John wants for himself.
Negotiating a maze of deceit, treachery and shifting political alliances Fulke’s striving is rewarded, but success is precarious. Personal tragedy follows the turbulence of the Magna Carta rebellion, culminating in the destruction of everything for which Fulke has fought. Yet even among the ashes, he finds a reason to begin anew.

As usual Elizabeth brings to life medieval England, set in the 12th and 13th centuries, we get to know not only the main characters but how and where they lived and all the important personalities of the time. It's also an excellent portrayal of a turbulent time in which the most important men of the land will finally come together to make the king sign the Magna Carta which seals some of the fundamental rights of the people.

Fulke and the then still Prince John have a strong disagreement over a chess game, Fulke's pride and John's grudge will make them enemies for life. Fulke's father has been fighting for the right to have Whittington returned to the family. After his father's death John confirms the ownership of the castle to another man leading Fulke to become an outlaw and give his allegiance to Llewellyn of Wales to keep fighting for what he believes is his right.

He manages to wed the woman he loves after she becomes a widow and their union will be tempestuous and passionate. Through Maude's eyes we have another version of the events and how they affected women and children and we also see the details of everyday life. As the political game often makes men change sides and allegiances we see how Fulke's life and decisions are fully interwhined in the period he lives in.

This book is not a traditional romance and yet it has strong romantic elements that add to the general sense of history and help bring characters and situations to life.

Highly recomended!

The Wild Hunt by Elizabeth Chadwick

In the wild, windswept Welsh marches a noble young lord rides homewards, embittered, angry and in danger. He is Guyon, lord of Ledworth, heir to threatened lands, husband-to-be of Judith of Ravenstow. Their union will save his lands - but they have yet to meet...

For this is Wales at the turn of the twelfth century. Dynasties forge and fight, and behind the precarious throne of William Rufus political intrigue is raging. Caught amidst the violence are Judith and Guyon, bound together yet poles apart. But when a dark secret from the past is revealed and the full horror of war crashes over Guyon and Judith they are forced to face insurmountable odds. Together...

I have this crazy tendency to want to read authors works in order, especially if I try a new release and like it. Having read and really enjoyed the last three new books by Elizabeth Chadwick, it was time to go back to the beginning and start glomming the back list, and you can't get any more back than this book - the first book published by Elizabeth Chadwick. In fact, this book has been out of print for a long time and for a while there I very much lamented the fact that I couldn't find a reasonably priced copy anywhere, until I finally lucked out on Ebay and bought a copy from the UK. Fast forward just under two years and I finally managed to read it, and quite frankly I don't know what I was thinking of waiting so long to do so!

The book opens with Guyon somewhat reluctantly having to marry a young girl, at the persuasive encouragement (or perhaps less encouragement than given no choice) of King William Rufus. By doing so, he is able to protect his own inheritance but also gets to stop his enemy Robert de Belleme from gaining further. The young girl is Judith of Ravenstow, and de Belleme is her paternal uncle who has his eye on her land. The young couple therefore marry hastily without having ever met each other previously. Guyon is handsome and sophisticated, with an established reputation at court as something of a romancer. For all Guyon's experience, Judith is an innocent, perhaps unusually so. She is well trained at the arts of healing and in the other skills required in order to run a household, but when it comes to interaction with the males of the species, she only has the abusive example of how her father treated her mother and she is skittish to say the least.

Guyon is prepared to be patient with Judith, until she is ready to deal with him as her husband, but as the relationship deepens between them, so the conflicts in the Marches and the Royal Court also deepen with Guyon getting caught up in the plotting and battling that is endemic in the court at the end of the 11th century and beginning of the 12th century.

It is hard not to compare this first book of Chadwick's with the later books because in many ways they are very different. There is less balance between the relationship between the characters and the battles and politics of medieval England. I think the sexual tension and the build up to the consummation of the marriage is less subtle than we see in her later books. The language of the novel is much less concise and at times there is too much description.

Having said all of that, the story itself was excellent, and I certainly was enchanted by Guyon. What Chadwick hasn't done with this character is made him whiter than snow. He is known at Court for his liaisons with the ladies, and very early on in the novel we know that he is prepared to take care of his responsibilities in this regard. We also know that he is a man of honour, and of faithfulness once he is married. He is in fact an all round good guy. If not for his past indiscretions there would be a chance that he would be too good to be true, but I can live with that. In fact, I wonder if I was to venture out to the Welsh Marches today whether I would be able to find my own Guyon - good looking, honourable, courageous. Yes please!

The same can not be said for the bad guys who are all very bad, but again this is something that I was willing to forgive because the actual story itself is so good!

Elizabeth Chadwick has confirmed that this book and the two others that form part of the Ravenstow trilogy are being rereleased after having been edited. In the case of this book, there have been approx 15000 words cut out of it, so it will be interesting at some stage to read the new version and see how it holds up to the revisions. The new version of the book is being released in the UK in December, and the cover is to the right, and fits in beautifully with the cover treatment that her newer books are receiving.

This is another winner from Elizabeth Chadwick, and I am very much looking forward to reading the other two books in this trilogy.

Review originally posted in July 2008.

HT News

Susan Holloway Scott has teamed up with her friend historical romance writer Loretta Chase and started a new blog called Two Nerdy History Girls. It already looks like it is going to be a lot of fun!

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows was one of my favourite reads of last year, and I know that there are a lot of other people around who loved the book as well. Annie Barrows has guest posted at A High and Hidden Place about Guernsey.

Over at Historicalnovels.info there is a short interview with Cathy Marie Buchanan, author of the new book The Day the Falls Stood Still.

Giveaway news for today:

Amy from Passages to the Past is giving away a signed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran.

Don't forget that as part of our Elizabeth Chadwick week, we are giving away three books. Full details here.

Ellizabeth Chadwick Week - Spotlight on the Books

When we first decided to hold this event, I thought it would be fun to ask some other Elizabeth Chadwick fans if they would like to participate! The first to agree was Misfitandmom from At Home with a Good Book and the Cat, who also has a number of Listmanias on Amazon, including one focusing on Elizabeth Chadwick. Here's Misfit on the right - no pictures of mom as far as I know! *grin*

Misfit has decided to give us a tour through Elizabeth Chadwick's backlist. Welcome to Historical Tapestry Misfit!

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I first discovered Elizabeth Chadwick’s books in early 2006 – whether they popped up on my Amazon recommendations or I found them on a Listmania, I’ve no clue. Heh, they probably were on my rec’s because I purchased PG’s books back in the early days of discovering historical fictionJ. Whatever – all I know is Falcons of Montabard was the first and it sent me on a whole new reading adventure and I’ve not looked back since. No one but no one can suck me into another century like EC does. To quote some of her book jackets it’s the next best thing to time travel.



The Time of Singing



EC’s latest novel tells the story of Roger Bigod, son of Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk, who and Ida de Tosney who was a mistress to Henry II. A big surprise was finding a young William Longespée in Ida’s story. I am patiently waiting for the sequel in 2010, To Defy a King.



The Scarlet Lion



The outstanding sequel to The Greatest Knight, this novel covers William Marshal’s life with Isabel as they face the dangers and terrors of living in the court of the King John, and then his time as regent for the young Henry III. I have to admit shedding more than a few tears at the last chapter, keep the tissue box handy.


A Place Beyond Courage



This is a prequel of sorts to The Greatest Knight, and is the story of John FitzGilbert, the father of William Marshal. The story takes place amidst the backdrop of England's civil war between Henry's daughter Matilda and her cousin Stephen, as John tries to juggle his perilous position between the two rivals for the crown. The author did a marvelous job of bringing John, Aline and Sybilla to life, and most especially young William. I was totally entranced at the way William was portrayed, from his exuberant first word to his innocent knowledge of the danger he was in whilst being held hostage by King Stephen.




The Winter Mantle



It is 1066 and William the Bastard has conquered England. He marries his niece to the soon to be rebellious Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon. This is two stories, first Waltheof and then his daughter Matilda.



The Falcons of Montabard



After dallying with the King’s mistress, Sabin is beaten by the King’s men and banished and he heads to Outremer (Israel). The setting for this story is a bit different from the EC’s other novels, but it’s still a personal favorite of mine, as is the hero Sabin – what a hottie. I loved watching Sabin grow and mature from a young hellion and womanizer into a caring, loving husband and father. Those of you who have read The Winter Mantle will recognize Sabin as the very young baby at the end of that book.



Shadows and Strongholds



S&S is the story of Fulke "Brunin" Fitzwarin, and follows him from childhood to manhood. As a young boy, Brunin withdraws into himself to avoid the pain from his domineering overbearing grandmother, and his father sends him to train as a squire with Joscelin de Dinan. I really loved the relationship between Brunin and Hawise and never tire of reading it (three times now). This is a great coming of age story and a prequel of sorts to The Lords of The White Castle – although Lords was written first.


Lords of the White Castle



While serving as a squire at the court of Henry II, fifteen year old Fulke FitzWarin runs afoul of a drunken Prince John and fights back when John attacks him with a wooden chess board, leaving a grudge that both men carry into adulthood. The FitzWarin family fights to have Whittingdon Castle, that was taken from them during the Civil War, returned to them, yet upon Richard I's death the now King John refuses to consider Fulke's plea out of spite. Fulke and his brothers rebel against John and become outlaws, living in the woods and robbing whenever they can from John (hmmm, a bit similar to a certain legend?).



Daughters of the Grail



This is one of EC’s earlier books and is also published under the title Children of Destiny. I loved this exciting tale of Cathars, Knights Templar, evil priests, Bridget and her daughter Magda - descended from Mary Magdalene, all battling the Roman Catholic Church that is bent on destroying them.



The Marsh King’s Daughter



This was a bit different from the author's usual story -- you really won't find many lords, ladies and knights in this one. Just the wool trade, an interesting footnote in history on the disappearance into the quicksand of John's treasure, a truly evil bad guy and a pair of lovers who take FOREVER to realize they are meant to be.



The Champion



An interesting concept using the tourney circuit as a back drop, giving you an entrance into an area most of us know nothing about. Of course the hero is wonderful, the villains truly evil (King John is really over the top in this one!) and we’re kept on the edge of our seat waiting to see if true love wins out in the end.


The Love Knot



A story set in the time of England's Civil War between Stephen and Maude. Catrin was stubborn to a fault, Oliver steadfast and honorable, a truly evil villain and a surprise return from the past of someone long thought dead. One of EC’s earlier novels and might feel too much like a romance for some historical fans but I loved it to bits.



The Conquest



Unputdownable! Is that a word? If not it should be, at least when describing this author's books. The Conquest is really two books in one, telling the story of two generations as it opens shortly before the Norman invasion of 1066. Saxon housewife Ailith loses her husband, brothers and new born child and attempts to take her own life, but is stopped by womanizing Norman knight Rolf de Brize. The second part of the book tells the story of their daughter Julitta.



Shields of Pride



One of EC's earlier books, this is the story of mercenary Joscelin de Gael, the illegitimate son of a prominent knight and Linnet de Montsorrel. Linnet's abusive husband dies in an accident and Joscelin is given the care of Linnet's holdings and young son, and marries her.



The Wild Hunt



EC's first novel and Book One in the Ravenstow Trilogy. Guyan, a Marcher Lord marries Judith of Ravenstow at the order of King William Rufus. They meet on their wedding day, and Guyan finds himself with a not fully mature 16 year old wife. As Guyan and Judith struggle with the treachery and intrigues of the courts of both William Rufus and his brother Henry, they manage to forge a strong and passionate marriage, and Judith grows into a strong willed woman and a force to be reckoned with.



The Running Vixen



Book two in the Ravenstow trilogy, this book tells the story of Guyan's newly widowed natural daughter Heulwen and Adam de Lacey who was raised in Guyan and Judith's household. Adam has just returned from escorting Maude/Mathidla from Germany back to England to be sworn in as Henry I's heir, to the chagrin of the Barons. IMHO this is the weakest book in the trilogy, but EC’s second best is heads and tails above many others.



The Leopard Unleashed



Book Three in the Ravenstow Trilogy, it opens as Guyan and Judith's oldest son and heir Renard is on crusade, that being the most expeditious method of his avoiding the civil war raging between King Stephen and Empress Mathilda. Renard involves himself with a beautiful exotic dancer, Olwen, and when the summons arrives for Renard to return home to his ailing father, she manipulates Renard into taking her along with him. Once home, Renard must marry the much younger Eleanor, who he was betrothed to ten years prior.



First Knight



My understanding is that this novel was written as a tie-in to the movie and is not your usual Chadwick. You won’t find that sense of time travel to another century that you usually get in an EC book and it’s best left for her die-hard fans like me J.



And last, but certainly not least is the book soon to be released in the U.S. by SourceBooks,

The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion



A fascinating look at a true, honorable and loyal man, who in the end was well rewarded for his loyalty by marriage to a wealthy heiress who became his life's soul mate. Much of the book is involved with the treachery and intrigue of the Plantagenet court and their lives -- you won't see as much heart stopping page turning excitement as you might have found some of the author's previous works, but still excellent reading just the same.

Announcing Elizabeth Chadwick Week!

This week we are very pleased to announce a special event for Historical Tapestry. From August 24 to September 1 it is

Elizabeth Chadwick week

This week is being held as a celebration for the fact that on 1 September The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick is going to be released in the US by Sourcebooks. There have been many readers who have already discovered how great Elizabeth Chadwick's books are, but they have been very hard for US readers to get hold of in the past. With the release of The Greatest Knight, there are many readers of historical fiction who will get their chance to discover for themselves how enjoyable her books are.

For Alex, Ana and Marg, Elizabeth Chadwick is already one of our favourite authors! We are working on Kailana and Teddy, and hope that this week will whet their appetites enough to entice them to try her books, and hopefully to entice some of you, the loyal readers of Historical Tapestry as well!

During this week there are going to be reviews, a couple of guest posts including one from Elizabeth herself as part of The Greatest Knight blog tour, an interview with Elizabeth Chadwick and much more.

There will also be a giveaway. We are happy to announce that thanks to the generous people at Sourcebooks we will have two copies of The Greatest Knight to giveaway (restricted to people who live in the US or Canada), but because we are all spread around the world, we also wanted to give other nationalities a chance to read any book off of Elizabeth Chadwick's backlist, so long as it is available from either BookDepository.co.uk or BookDepository.com.

In order to enter the giveaways, simply leave a comment on this post stating if you would like to win The Greatest Knight (if you are eligible for the Sourcebooks prize) or which book you would like to win from Elizabeth Chadwick's backlist. You can enter both prize draws if you wish, and you can choose The Greatest Knight for the backlist prize as well if you like! Be sure to tune in on Tuesday when we will have a post about all of Elizabeth's backlist.

To give you a taste of The Greatest Lion, here is the trailer for the book which Elizabeth Chadwick made herself.

HT News

Jeanne Westin has been interviewed about her new book, The Virgin's Daughter over at Word Wenches.

Something special for medieval fans. Elizabeth Chadwick has interviewed Sharon Kay Penman at her blog today. Two of my favourite authors in one place!


The new giveaways that I have found for today's HT News are:

Leonardo's Swans at Historical-Fiction.com.

Sarah from Passages to the Past is playing the title game, and we can be the big winners! Whoever does best at the game will get the option to win six books, and there are other prizes as well!

Jennifer from Literate Housewife is giving away a copy of Tracy Chevalier's new novel Remarkable Creatures.

HT News

With a release date of 18 August, The White Queen by Philippa Gregory seems to be everywhere at the moment with giveaways and reviews, and also an interview at HistoricalNovels.info. There's a new giveaway up at Book Thingo and at Popin's Lair, and both of these are available to international readers as well.


Passages to the Past has a giveaway of Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight. We have a very big announcement regarding Elizabeth Chadwick coming up soon, so please keep watching this blog space!


Just a quick reminder that our very own Teddy is hosting an upcoming edition of the Bookworms Carnival where the theme will be Historical Fiction. If you would like to participate, please see the details here.

According to Bookseller.com Avon, the mass market paperback imprint for Harper Collins is publishing it's first historical fiction novel, The Secret Mandarin by Sara Sheridan set in China.

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

Teddy's thoughts:


Juana, daughter of Queen Isabel & King Ferdinand of Spain was raised to be a pawn. She was betrothed as a toddler to Philip of Flanders, heir to the Hapsburg throne, to improve political alliances with Spain.

At 16 she was sent with her attendants to Flanders, to marry Philip. She did not want to go but knew it was her duty. Once she met Philip and saw how handsome he was, she fell in love with him. Their first years together were romantic and happy one's. Juana had a daughter and then a son, which made Philip very happy.

Juana was given an education, as a child she was raised to be a good wife and to gently persuade her husband to agree with Spain on issues that may arise. However, after a few year of wedded bliss, Juana's brother and the sister and nephew died. She was next in succession to the Spanish throne.

Though she was not raised to be Queen, she knew it was her duty. However, this created a power struggle with her husband. She also had to struggle with other men of power to take her rightful place as Queen.

This is an enthralling story of greed, lust, power, loyalty, and friendship. C.W. Gorther keeps the story going in perfect pitch! His vivid re-telling of the last Queen of Spain is quite believable and you can tell he really did his research to keep historical facts accurate.

I could not put this book down and it kept me up into the wee hours of the morning. I highly recommend this wonderful book. If you love historical fiction, you must read this book!

5/5


Marg's thoughts:



As much as I love reading historical fiction that is set in England, every now and again I really appreciate a change of location and characters. If that sounds a bit like you, then you can't really go wrong with The Last Queen by C W Gortner.

Whilst a lot of historical fiction fans will be familiar with the life and times of Catherine of Aragon, I must confess that I knew very little about any of her other family members. In this book, the author focuses on the life of Juana, Catherine's older sister who married into the Hapsberg family, to Phillip of Flanders (known as Phillip the Handsome). What started out as an arranged marriage quickly turned into a passionate, loving marriage but just as quickly turns into a passionate marriage of what can be a far stronger emotion - loathing and hate.

Due to a series of tragedies that hit the Aragonese royal family, Juana becomes the rightful heir to the Castilian throne. She is however forced to fight for her birthright against not only against her husband who was determined to claim the throne for himself, but also against the church, her own remaining family members, and against the distrust of the idea of a queen reigning.

As husband and wife engage in political power plays to try and gain the upper hand, as family members betray each other, and as mother becomes separated both physically and emotionally from her children, we are left with a portrayal of a woman who many would have envied as having everything, but who is left with nothing. Some of the choices that Juana did make seem somewhat foolhardy and yes, slightly mad, and the author does not shy away from these events. The portrayal of Juana is handled with sensitivity and perceptiveness, and yet as a reader, it is quite easy to be swept up in the drama and the emotion of the story.

I am glad to have been introduced to this fascinating character who in some ways is a footnote in history for many non-Europeans. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from C W Gortner.

Rating 4.5/5

Hugh and Bess: A Love Story by Susan Higginbotham

"A delightful novel full of chivalry, romance, and real-life terrors."
Historical Novels Review

Forced to marry Hugh le Despenser, the son and grandson of disgraced traitors, Bess de Montacute, just 13 years old, is appalled at his less-than-desirable past. Meanwhile, Hugh must give up the woman he really loves in order to marry the reluctant Bess. Far apart in age and haunted by the past, can Hugh and Bess somehow make their marriage work?

Just as walls break down and love begins to grow, the merciless plague endangers all whom the couple holds dear, threatening the life and love they have built.

Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham's impeccable research will delight avid historical fiction readers, and her enchanting characters will surely capture every reader's heart. Fans of her first novel, The Traitor's Wife, will be thrilled to find that this story follows the next generation of the Despenser family.

Marg's thoughts:


I am sure that I am not the only reader around who has authors that they have been meaning to read for a while but it just hasn't happened. For me, Susan Higginbotham is one of those authors. I can not tell you how long I had Susan's first book sitting on my nightstand unread, until I finally decided to clear off the nightand and reshelve the pile that was there. The big question for me now is not so much why, because I know that it is because I kept on having other books get in the way, but rather how can I reorganise my reading calendar so that I can now read The Traitor's Wife sooner rather than later?

When young Bess de Montacute finds out she is to be married again, she is not happy. At fourteen she is already a widow, having been married to a young boy who died before they truly began married life. She doesn't want to be a wife again especially to Hugh le Despenser. Not only is he significantly older than her, but he also comes from a line of le Despenser men who have been found to be traitors in the past and therefore his family doesn't have the best name. The current Hugh le Despenser is however loyal through and through to the current king.

It's fair to say that Hugh is also not overly thrilled when the King suggests this match but given how hard he has worked at trying to redeem the family name he decides to go ahead with the betrothal, even though it means giving up the woman that he loves - a woman who would not be a suitable wife for a man of his stature.

Hugh and Bess struggle through their early days of married life, feeling their way through a veritable minefield of emotions, not least of all resentment and loneliness, but over time they come to find a bond of love much stronger than either could have imagined possible.

One of the highlights of this novel for me was the dialogue between the characters, especially between Bess and her friends - relaxed and almost gossipy, but above all dialogue that feels like it would really happy between young girls such as those featured in the book. I found it interesting to contrast the fates of two young girls who had very different experiences of arranged marriages. I was also impressed with the way that Higginbotham chose to end this book. Given the historical facts, it could have been possible to end the book much earlier, and much more abruptly than she did, and I appreciated the extra few pages that sets up a very hopeful ending.

If you want to read accessible historical fiction or perhaps a lovely romantic novel with a historical setting, then this is certainly a book to pick up and enjoy

Now I am off to find out which bookshelf The Traitor's Wife is on.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy of this book.


Kailana's thoughts:


Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Historical Fiction.

What led you to pick up this book? Received a review copy, but have been meaning to read this book for a while.

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...

What did you like most about the book? I think the thing that really struck me about this novel was that even though it was rather short page-wise, I found myself becoming very drawn to the characters. Even though I roughly knew what was going to happen, when it actually happened I felt how I was supposed to about the events as they played out. Susan writes characters that I could easily relate to. I wanted more when the book was done, but obviously she was limited by the facts and could only tell the story that we think actually happened. I really enjoyed the book overall.

What did you like least? I didn't have any major problems with this book. I found it readable and enjoyed the story overall. I think it struck me as young adultish and I wouldn't mind a bit more adult, but considering that the book starts when Bess was rather young it worked for the book. So, really, I don't have anything overly bad to complain about.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? Nope. I plan to read her other book, though. I have owned it for a while, but haven't had a chance to read it.

What did you think of the main character? I really liked Hugh. He had a rough life, but he grew into his character well. Was he perfect? Of course not. He tried to be the best person he could be, though, and I found myself really liking him. Susan wrote him well, too, so that helped. Bess, on the other hand, got on my nerves once in a while. She was okay once she grew up a bit and became more matured, but in the beginning I didn't think I was going to like her. She was acting her age, though, so I suppose it is not really any ones fault. By the end of the book I liked her. I suppose that is the important thing. I really felt for both Hugh and Bess.

What about the ending? The ending is not really anything to do with the author. She was limited to what happened in real life, so what can I complain about. I think that she chose a good time in Bess' life to end it, though. Anymore than that would've been taking away from the overall story. The historical notes helped answer any questions that you might have, but they were not things that she needed to cover in the novel. It was the story of Hugh and Bess, which is what is covered.

I recommend this book! I am determined to read her other book now.

Marg's review originally posted at Reading Adventures as part of the Hugh and Bess blog tour.